


angelica

by laurenjauregui



Series: you make me sick (for being so perfect) deleted scenes [3]
Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F, autistic!lauren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 06:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10611468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenjauregui/pseuds/laurenjauregui
Summary: Angelica adores her granddaughter, Lauren.





	

“I’m so sorry to do this to you,” Clara says, walking into the house with a squirming and distressed Lauren in her arms. “Lauren needs to stay here for a little while.”

When Clara puts Lauren down, the little girl’s mood brightens, and she looks up at Angelica with wide green eyes. “’buela!”

“Hello, Lauren.” Angelica leans down as Lauren runs to her, and the little girl throws her arms around her abuela’s neck. “Why does she need to stay here?”

Angelica goes to stand up, but Lauren clings onto her, so she lifts her up and smiles when Lauren snuggles up close to her. Clara looks at the two of them with a small, wistful sigh. “Why won’t she do that with me? I’m her mother.”

“She only wants to be picked up sometimes,” Angelica says, ruffling her granddaughter’s hair. Lauren giggles. “Anyway, why does she need to stay here?”

“I need a few days to think.” Clara answers. “We went to the doctor like you said we should, and they- they told me she’s autistic, but she’s not. She’s fine. We’re going to fix it, but I need a little while-”

“If a trained professional says she’s autistic, then she is.” Angelica replies as Clara puts Lauren’s overnight bag down. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s still my perfect granddaughter.”

Lauren beams at her words and claps her hands. “’buela.”

Angelica smiles and sets Lauren down. “Go and sit in my rocking chair, Lauren. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

At her words, Lauren toddles into the lounge, and Angelica watches her go with a smile. Then, she looks back over to Clara.

Clara sighs. “I just… can’t deal with her right now. I need to go home and talk to Mike about what we’re going to do, and she always seems so calm with you, so…”

“I’ll take care of her for a few days,” Angelica agrees, “but you have to come and get her on Friday.”

“Okay,” Clara says, “that’s all I need. Thank you.”

After a few moments, Clara leaves, and Angelica heads into the lounge to see Lauren sat on the floor, playing with her Nala. “Lauren, sweetheart, you’re going to be staying over here for a few days.”

Lauren glances up at her, not entirely meeting her eyes but watching as Angelica sits down in her chair. Then, she just shrugs and starts playing with Nala’s tail. “’ove you.”

“I love you too, Lauren,” Angelica replies, patting her lap. “Do you want to sit in my rocking chair with me?”

Lauren beams and clambers up to sit on her lap, cuddling up next to her and resting her head on her chest. Angelica has noticed that Lauren likes doing that; she probably likes the sound of her heartbeat.

Angelica smiles down at her granddaughter. “So, what did you do today?”

She knows exactly what Lauren did today – that’s the main reason why she’s coming to stay for a little while, because Clara needed some time to process the diagnosis – but she wants to encourage Lauren to talk. Not force her, but encourage it.

Lauren shrugs. “’oc-or.”

Angelica smiles. “Doctor?”

Lauren bobs her head in reply. “’oc _t_ or.”

“I told your mami you needed to go there,” Angelica replies, laughing as Lauren squirms next to her, pulling up her shirt. She rubs Lauren’s tummy, and the little girl nestles her face into her neck. “I was right. You’re autistic.”

Lauren glances up in mild interest. “’tistic.”

“Yeah,” Angelica smiles. “You’re a clever girl, Lauren. You just said a new word.”

Lauren blushes and taps out a pattern against her leg. “ _Hakuna matata?”_

Angelica smiles. “Sure. We’ll watch your movie.”

She picks Lauren up, feeling her squirm against her, but keeps rubbing her tummy with one hand to calm her down. Lauren whines, so she puts her down, and Lauren jumps back into the rocking chair, one hand on Nala and her thumb corked in her mouth.

Once Angelica gets the VHS set up and sits back down next to Lauren, she gently pulls Lauren’s thumb from her mouth. “Don’t suck your thumb, Lauren. You’ll ruin your teeth.”

Lauren mumbles something in response, but cuddles up to her. “’ove you, ‘buela.”

“I love you too, Lauren,” Angelica smiles. “You’re such a good girl.”

Lauren beams and claps her hands three times. Then, she wriggles in Angelica’s arms and gets down off the rocking chair, looking around with a frown. “Mami?”

“Your mami has gone home,” Angelica tells her as Lauren toddles around the room, looking for her mom. “You’re staying here until Friday, but she’s staying at your house.”

Lauren, still frowning, sits down in front of the TV. When _The Lion King_ starts to play, Angelica smiles, because the little girl’s attention is trained on the TV. Not even a loud ‘Lauren, come here’ makes her attention waver.

Knowing that Lauren won’t get herself into trouble, Angelica goes into the kitchen and busies herself with making dinner. She makes chicken nuggets and fries, and makes sure to put some cauliflower on the side, because that’s the only vegetable that Lauren will touch. She makes herself a ready meal in the microwave, because she knows that Lauren likes eating at the same time as other people.

She makes sure the food isn’t touching on the plate, and sets it down on the dinner table in Lauren’s specific spot. The movie is just finishing when she walks back into the lounge to call Lauren for dinner, and when she says, “Lauren, it’s dinnertime,” the little girl stands up and follows her to the dinner table.

Lauren clambers onto her seat and smiles, before picking up some fries in one hand and stuffing them into her mouth. She giggles through her mouthful when Angelica laughs and says, “Lauren, use your knife and fork.”

Lauren picks up the plastic knife and fork she always uses, and impales one of the pre-cut pieces of chicken nugget. Once Lauren has finished her bite, Angelica asks, “What’s that on your fork, Lauren?”

Lauren looks down at the piece of chicken on her fork. “’ickens!”

“Chicken _nuggets_ ,” Angelica tells her, “can you say that?”

Lauren frowns down at her plate. “’uggets. ‘uggets, ‘buela.”

Angelica smiles. “Well done! You can have ice cream for dessert since you’re so smart.”

Lauren beams. “Me- me ‘mart.”

“Yeah,” Angelica agrees. “You’re so smart, Lauren. You’re going to be top of your class when you grow up.”

Lauren smiles proudly, and Angelica feels her heart soar at how happy her granddaughter looks. While she knows it’s not very likely that Lauren will even go to school, and that she’s incredibly delayed for her age, she’s such a sweet girl, and she’s so proud when she learns new words.

She’s been picking up on more and more things lately, though. Maybe one day she’ll use sentences.

After dinner, Angelica watches _The Lion King 2_ with Lauren, the little girl falling asleep halfway through with her head on her chest and the end of Nala’s tail in her mouth.

-

“You can’t do that.”

“I’ve told her.” Mike replies, “But she’s determined. She says that sending Lauren away to one of these _institutions_ will help her. Make her better.”

Angelica picks up one of the leaflets and shakes her head. “No. No, places like this use shock therapy and Lauren- she’s only _five_. I’m not letting them lock her up.”

“Clara won’t listen,” Mike sits down, “I need you to talk to her.”

“I’ll take Lauren,” Angelica says, “if Clara thinks she can’t handle it, I’ll take her.”

“Lauren isn’t going anywhere.” Mike says. “She’s staying here. I’m not giving her up.”

“Papi?” Lauren totters into the kitchen, and her eyes widen when she notices Angelica. “’buela!”

Angelica picks up an excitable Lauren and kisses the top of her head. “Are you having a good day, Lauren?”

“Mami- mami,” Lauren points towards the lounge door, “ _dop-ton_ paper.”

After saying the words, Lauren puffs her chest out proudly, but Angelica doesn’t praise her like usual. Instead, she sets Lauren down and tells her to stay with Mike, before going into the lounge to talk to Clara.

“You’re not giving her away.” Angelica says, arms folded across her chest. “If Mike doesn’t agree, you can’t.”

Clara sighs. “She needs help.”

“She _needs_ her mother to love her as she is.” Angelica counters. “She just wants your approval. Why do you think she tries so hard to make you smile?”

“I can’t handle it,” Clara says, “she’s too much, and I have Chris and another baby on the way… I can’t handle her.”

“I’ll take her.” Angelica replies. “You’re not sending her away to some institution. She’s _happy_ and she’s _healthy_. Sending her away will be detrimental to her health and happiness. If you need a break, she can stay with me for a while. She’s never a problem.”

Clara scoffs. “ _Never a problem_. She’s always so difficult.”

“Mami?”

Angelica turns around to see Lauren stood in the doorway, rocking on her heels. “Lauren, come here.”

Lauren toddles over, chewing on her bottom lip and looking up nervously. “Me- me bad?”

Angelica pulls Lauren into her arms and shakes her head. “No, sweetheart, you’re not bad. You’re such a good little girl.”

Lauren smiles shyly. “Tank you.”

Angelica smiles. “Do you want to come for a sleepover at my house?”

Lauren beams. “Hakuna matata?”

“Yeah,” Angelica nods, “we can watch it if you want. I got some new special sheets for your room, too. They have Nala on them.”

Lauren gasps. “’ala?”

“Yep,” Angelica confirms. “Nala. And Simba, too.”

Lauren squeals excitedly and nods her head. “’buela’s! Want ‘buela’s.”

Angelica looks over to Clara. “I’ll take her for as long as you need. But you’re not sending my granddaughter away.”

-

Lauren stays with her for a month. Angelica’s second guest room becomes Lauren’s room, complete with her _Lion King_ sheets and ‘posters’ of Nala, that are really just pictures that Angelica printed out for her.

“’tay here?” Lauren asks her one night when they’re cuddled on the couch, _The Lion King_ playing on the TV. “’ive? ‘ive ‘buela?”

“You want to know if you’re living here?” Angelica asks, and Lauren bobs her head in reply. “Well, you can stay here as long as you want, Lauren.”

Lauren beams, “’tay f’ever!”

Angelica laughs. “Okay then. You can stay forever.”

-

When Lauren's aunt hurts her, her abuela is the one to save her. She spends the rest of the day at her grandmother's house, shaken and scared, but knowing that she's safe as long as Angelica is protecting her.

-

When Lauren calls her on the phone one night, Angelica isn’t surprised. Lauren calls her a lot, always wanting to hear about her day, but this time, she can tell by her granddaughter’s tone that she’s excited about something.

“’buela, ‘buela!” Lauren says when she picks up the phone, “Made _fwends_!”

“You did?” Angelica beams. “I’m proud of you. What are their names?”

“Um, _Awwy_ , DJ, and Mani!” Lauren answers. “DJ- DJ ‘imba!”

“She has a Simba?” Angelica asks, and when Lauren answers with an excited _‘es_ , she smiles. “You two will be great friends, then. Especially if she likes _The Lion King_ as much as you.”

“Mani, Ally _nice_ ,” Lauren continues excitedly. “Like them.”

“Maybe they can come over for dinner on Friday,” Angelica says, hearing Lauren’s happy squeal on the other side of the phone. “Let me know if they’re allowed and I’ll set up three extra plates.”

-

When Angelica meets Lauren’s friends for the first time, she’s a little worried about how attached her granddaughter seems – kids their age fight all the time about little things like coloured pencils – but after seeing how the other girls interact with her, she’s comforted.

Ally constantly looks after all of them, and Dinah clearly has a protective nature, but it’s Normani that Angelica can really see has a connection with Lauren. Normani spends a lot of the time teaching Lauren words out of her reading book, and she knows that these girls are going to be good for Lauren.

-

When Lauren is nine, she comes over for dinner unannounced. Instead of using the key Angelica had cut for her, she knocks on the front door.

“Lauren?” Angelica asks when she opens the door. “You’re not supposed to come over until tomorrow.”

“Hello. I- I am here for- for dinner.” Lauren says, rocking on her heels and looking up at Angelica shyly, waiting for approval.

Stunned at hearing her granddaughter speak in full sentences, Angelica pulls Lauren in for a hug. “Did you come here just to say that?”

Lauren nods, and stutters out, “But- but, dinner, please.”

Angelica ushers her inside with a smile, “I can always set out an extra plate for you.”

Lauren spends the rest of the night trying her hardest to speak in full sentences, and Angelica can’t remember the last time she was that proud.

-

“You’re not allowed to leave me.”

Angelica smiles up at Lauren. “I don’t have much choice, Lauren.”

“But- but-” Lauren huffs, sitting back in the uncomfortable hospital chair, “you’re not allowed. I need you. You’re the only one in the family who- who gets me.”

“Your friends get you,” Angelica points out, “Normani, Dinah and Ally. They’re here for you. And your dad.”

“But _you’re_ my abuela,” Lauren argues, “and- and they’re not. I need you _here_. You’re my best friend.”

“I thought Normani was your best friend,” Angelica laughs, “and you have people that will be there for you. I can’t stay around forever.”

“But… I need you to,” Lauren murmurs, “I don’t- I don’t want to lose you.”

“I know,” Angelica squeezes Lauren’s trembling hand. “I don’t want to lose you either. But you’ll see me again. When you’re all old and wrinkly like me.”

“You’re not old.” Lauren mumbles. “You’re only eighty eight.”

Angelica laughs. “Eighty nine is when people are old then, huh?”

“Um…” Lauren shrugs, and wipes her teary eyes. “You need to be here. When I meet the person- the love of my life. I need you to meet them, so you can’t go yet.”

Angelica pulls the two rings from her ring finger – her engagement ring and wedding ring. “When you meet that person, I want you to give them these. Whether it’s a proposal or just a present.”

Lauren shakes her head. “You need those.”

“Not for much longer,” Angelica says, pressing the rings into Lauren’s hand, “take them. Take them and keep hold of them until you meet your person. Then I’ll be meeting them in spirit.”

“I- I can’t,” Lauren protests, but Angelica puts the rings into Lauren’s hand and shakes her head, “I- they’re _yours_.”

“And now they’re yours,” Angelica tells her, “look after them until you meet that special person. Promise me you’ll give them to the one you’re certain you love.”

After a few moments of silence, Lauren nods. “I promise.”

Angelica smiles. “Good. I’m counting on you.”

Lauren hums to herself, pocketing the rings and leaning down to give Angelica a kiss on the cheek. “I think I need to go now. But I will be back to visit you tomorrow, like always. I love you.”

“I love you too, Lauren.” Angelica says. “I’m so proud of you.”

-

When Lauren comes back to visit the next day, she finds out her abuela has passed away. She doesn’t come out of her room for two weeks, and refuses to talk to anybody.

She’s heartbroken.

-

Almost a year to the date of her abuela’s death, Lauren meets Camila Cabello. She knows that Camila doesn’t really like her – she looks at her funny all the time – but Camila is pretty, and Lauren likes to look at her, and the beauty makes her head spin and her tummy do flips.

She wants Camila to like her, but she’s really nervous, and the only person she wants to go to for advice has been gone for nearly a year.

-

A year after she meets Camila, on Christmas, she gives her the first ring. She knows that Camila is the one she wants to spend her life with, but they’re too young for proposals, but Lauren decides that she’s giving her Angelica’s first ring as a promise. A promise that she’ll always love Camila. She decides she’s going to give Camila the second ring when she proposes for real, but she knows she loves Camila, and she knows that they’re romantic soulmates. Camila is _it_ for her.

Lauren feels a warmth in her heart when she gives Camila the ring, and she knows that her abuela is smiling down at them both.


End file.
